Check-protector



No Model.) Y a sheets-shfeen'l.

CHECK PROTECTOR.

No. 554,613. Patented Feb. 11, 1896;

l n: l

Unire@ raras GAYLORD IV. BEBE, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

CH EC K-PROTECTO R.

SPECIFECATION forming` part of Letters Patent No. 554,613, dated February 1 1, 1896. Application filed September 17, 1894. Renewed December 30, 1895. Serial No. 573,834. (No model.)

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GAYLORD W. BEEBE, of the city of Minneapolis, county of Hennepin, State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Check- Protectors, of which the following is a specifica-tion.

My invention relates to means for indenting checks, drafts, and notes and for inking the iiber thereof in such a manner that the check-marks cannot be changed or altered without so changing the appearance thereof that the same would be noted instantly by a person taking the check or draft in hand.

The object of my invention is to provide a check-protector which shall be of an extremely simple and cheap construction and which may be operated by any person,whether skilled in the use of the instrument or not.

A further and more important object is to provide a check-protector which' shall niark a check or draft in a manner hitherto unattained, making the raising of a check or draft a practical impossibility.

To these ends my invention consists in general in a check-protector of the construction and combination of parts all as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which- Figure lis a plan view of a device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the device on the line .r x of Fig. 1. Fig. 4L is a vertical section on the line 'y y of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a vertical partial section on the line e z of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a detail view showing the circular band or olectrotype carrying the indenting blocks or dies. Figs. 7, 8, and 9 show the different forms of the indenting-points which may be employed. Figs. 10 and ll YAand Figs. l2 and 13 show a pair of dies in closed and open positions, respectively, the parts being in vertical section, and showing the indenting-points and the recesses, and also showing that the points completely iill the cavities or small dies and that the paper is not perforated, but rather indented, broken, and abraded to separate the fibers thereof to receive the ink from the punch-points. Figs. 14 to 25, inclusive, illustrate a complete set of dies upon the diamond pattern of type.

In the drawings, 2 represents a suitable hollow base, preferably of metal, which is provided at one side on the top with a vertical opening in which a stud 3 is adapted to slide. The upper end of the stud 3 is screwed into a wheel or disk 4t, having a knob 5 extending upwardly from the center thereof. The knob may be form ed integrally with the disk or not, as desired. The disk 4 is provided on its upper surface and near the edge with a 'circular row of figures or other characters arranged at intervals thereon. On the under side of the disk and arranged beneath the respective figures or characters are dies 6, having beveled or cone-shaped points upon their respective faces forming characters corresponding to the figure or character immediately above them. The dies 6 are preferably formed with and carried by an electrotype-plate 6', which is secured to the under side of the disk by screws or in any othersuitable way.

The dies 6 may be formed separately and secured to the disk independently of each other. The characters upon the faces of the dies are formed by serrated outlines, and the serrations upon any of the dies are adapted to coincide with corresponding indentations provided in a plate or female die 7 adj ustably secured to the base 2 beneath the disk in a depression therein by screws passing into the female die from the under side of the base, as shown in Fig. 3. The plate or female die 7 may be supported, however, 'in any other suitable mann er. A suitable inking-pad 8 is also provided on the base in a semicircular depression therein, said depression having flaring side walls and arranged beneath the disk. The holes in the base through which the screws pass into the female die are larger than the diameter of the screws to permit adjustment of the die. The spring-catch 9 is provided on the top of the base to engage one ofthe series of notches in the periphery of the disk, so as to hold the disk from turning when it is desired to use `the machine in puncturing and printing any character upon the check or draft. A small rod 10 is supported under the top of the base by the bracket l0', secured to the under side of the top of the base. A roller l1 is IOO mounted upon this rod and is free to turn therewith, and extends a short distance up thro ugh an opening provided in the top of the base, as shown in Fig. 1. The roller 11 is provided with an annular groove 12 near its center for the purpose hereinafter described.

Mounted upon the top of the base at one side of the disk is a standard 13, which may be secured to the base by a screw or any other suitable means. A fork is provided at the top of this standard in which a key or lever-1l is pivoted. The lever or key is provided at one end with a pivoted yoke in which is pivoted a small roller 15, normally held against the roller 11, by the pressure of a spring 1G arranged at the other end of the key. The opposite end of the keyis fiattened, to be pressed by a finger. Upon the rod 10 at one side of the roller 1l is mount-ed a ratchet-wheel 17. A bar 1S extends across the base and is pivoted to one of the side walls thereof. The free end of the bar 1S is turned upwardly to press against the collar or iiange upon the wheel 17, acting as a guide for the bar 1S, which is also provided with a small springcatch 19, which engages the teeth of the ratchet-wheel. A small detent-spring 1Q is provided to engage the ratchet-wheel upon the opposite side from the springl 19 to prevent the wheel from turning backward. The bar 18 is further supported near its center by a screw 20, which passes loosely through an opening therein and into a threaded hole in the bottom of the rod 3. A flat spring 21 is secured to the under side of the base and presses against the bottom or head of the pin 20, holding the rod 3 up and also the disk i, which it supports.

A lug or projection 22 is provided upon the top of the base to engage one of the notches in the disk L when pressure is applied to force the disk down upon the base and also to prevent the die 4f being forced down at any other point than where the male die will coincide with the female die underneath. A pin 23 is also provided in the base, under which the edge of the check is placed to prevent its coming in contact with the inked dies.

The operation of the device is as follows: One end of the check, note or draft to beindented, breken and inked is placed between the roller 15 and the roller 11 and held thereby from slipping. The part to be marked is placed over the plate or female die 7 on the base and under the pin 23 and the disk 4 revolved until the character or figure which it is desired to impress upon the paper is brought over the female die or plate. The knob 5 is then pressed upon or stamped and the rod 3 will slide down through the vertical opening in the base, carrying down with it the bar 1S and the flat spring 21. lVhen the dies strike the paper, the points or serrations thereon will force the fiber of the paper into the indentations of the female die or plate 7, and the points, having previously been inked upon the pad S, will ink the indentations of the paper. As the points or serrations forming the male die are depressed the paper is forced into the corresponding depressions forming the female die, and as this female die is formed of a rigid material, such as metal, the paper is broken, so that openin are made tliirough the paper, and the portions of the paper which come between the beveled surfaces of the ends of the male dies and the corresponding surfaces of the female dies are crushed and the glazed or calendered surface is removed, and the ink, carried upon the beveled surfaces of the points forming the male dies, is driven into the interior fibers of the paper. The ink being thus driven into the fiber of the paper will spread therein to a greater or less extent, making it impossible to remove the ink without destroying the body of the paper. Then the disk and rod move up again, actuated by the spring 2 1, the catchspring 19 upon the bar 1S will engage another tooth of the ratchet-wheel 17, moving :it forward and with it the roller 11 and the roller 15, which it engages. The end of the draft or note being between these rolls, it will be moved forward far enough to properly space the characters and a fresh portion of the paper will be brought forward above the plate 7 ready to be indented with another character or figure, as may be desired. The serrations or points upon the faces of the dies may be beveled, round, square, diamond-shaped or any desired beveled sl1ape,an d the plate (5 may be removed at any time and another plate having dies with differently-shaped points, forming different characters, substituted, il.' desired. Several dies may be provided to be used in place of the female die or plate 7 having indentations which correspond to the various shapes of the points or serrations upon the male dies above.

As shown by the outline figures upon one of the sheets of drawings, there are so many spaces provided each way for the indentations, no matter what the outline of the character is. For instance, those shown in the drawings are three spaces across and seven spaces high, so that there will always be an indentation in the female plate or die upon the base to receive a correspondingly-shaped point or serration upon the male die above.

Then it is desired to make a differentlyshaped impression the dies and plates may be removed and others substituted therefor. Then it is desired to make indentations upon more than one part of the paper and it is necessary to pass the indented portion under the rolls, the part that is indented may be brought over the annular groove in the roll 11 and this will prevent the indentations from being flattened into the paper again.

l have used the term indentation to refer to the depression made in the paper by the action of the male and female dies; but it will be understood that with my device the paper is not simply indented, but it is at the same time broken and an opening is made through ICO IIO

the paper by the action of each point and the corresponding depression of the female die, and the broken edges of the indented or depressed portions are crushed so that the glazed surface is removed and the ink, carried upon the points forming the male dies, is forced or driven into the fiber forming the body of the paper.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A device for marking checks or other papers, comprising a male die, formed of a series of points, arranged in the outline of a suitable character, a female die, consisting' of a corresponding series of indentations arranged to coincide with the points or serrations forming the male die, means for inking said dies, and means for forcing one of said dies against the other, whereby an interposed paper will be depressed, broken, and the ink forced into the fibers forming the body of the paper.

2. The combination in a device of the class described, of a suitable base, a revolving vertically-movable disk arranged thereon, dies arranged upon the under surface of said disk, the faces of said dies being provided with a character or characters formed by serrated outlines, a plate upon said base over which said dies pass as the disk revolves, said plate being provided with in dentati ons corresponding to and coinciding with the serrations upon said dies and means for inking said dies, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in a device of the class described. of a base, a revolving verticallymovable disk thereon, a plate carrying male dies removably secured to the under surface of said disk, the faces of said dies provided with a character or characters formed by beveled points, a female die removably and adjustably secured to said base and over which said male dies pass as the disk is revolved, said female die being provided with indentations corresponding to and coinciding with the points upon the faces of said male dies and means for inking said male dies, substantially as described.

4. The combination, in a device of the class described, of a base, a revolving verticallymovable disk thereon, a plate carrying dies removably secured to the under surface of said disk, the faces of said dies provided with characters formed by beveled points, a female die removably and adj ustably secured to said base and over which the male dies pass as the disk is revolved, said plate or female die being provided with indentations corresponding to and coinciding with the beveled points upon the faces of vthe male dies, means for holding a paper and for automatically moving it over said female die after each impression of the male die, and means for inking said dies, substantially as described.

5. The combination, in a device of the class described, of a base, a revolving verticallymovable disk thereon, a plate carrying dies removably secured to the under surface of said disk, the faces of said dies provided with a character or characters formed by beveled points, a female die or plate removably and adjustably secured to said base and over which said dies pass as the disk is revolved, said plate being provided with indentations corresponding to and coinciding with the beveled points upon the faces of said dies, rollers 11 and 15 upon said base and between Which the paper is held, a ratchet mechanism for turning said roller 11 and moving the paper forward as it is stamped, and means for inking said dies, substantially as described.

G. The combination, in a device of the class described, of a vertically-movable revolving disk thereon, said disk being provided with characters arranged at intervals upon its upper surface near the circumference, and with notches in its periphery to engage a spring upon the base, an electrotype-band removably arranged beneath said disk and carrying male dies provided with characters corresponding respectively to those upon the upper surface of said disk, said characters being formed by beveled points upon the faces of said dies, a female die removably and adjustably arranged upon said base over which said dies pass as they revolve, said female die being provided with indentations corresponding to and coinciding with the points upon the faces of said dies, and means for inking said dies, substantially as described.

7. The combination in a device of the class described, of a base, provided with a vertical opening in its top, a rod 3 to slide in said opening and carrying a disk 4, dies upon said disk provided with characters formed by beveled points, the points thereof corresponding to and coinciding with indentations provided in a female die upon said base, a bar 1S, a screw 2O supporting said bar, a spring 21, a shaft 10, a ratchet upon said shaft to be engaged by a spring upon said bar, a roller 11 upon said shaft and provided with an annular groove, a second roller arranged to press upon said roller 11, and an ink-pad upon said base beneath said dies, substantially as described.

8. The combination in a device of the class described, of a base, provided with a vertical opening in its top, a rod 3 to slide in said opening and carrying a disk 4, dies upon said disk provided with characters formed by serrated outlines, the serrations thereof corresponding to and coinciding with indentations provided in an adjustable plate upon said base, a bar 18 having one end pivotally secured to said base and the other end upwardly turned, a screw 2O engaging said rod 3 and supporting said bar, a shaft 10, a ratchet upon said shaft, having a fiange engaged by the turned-up end of said bar 1S, a spring 21, a spring 19 upon said bar and engaging the teeth of said ratchet, a detent-spring 19', a roller 11 upon said shaft and provided with an annular groove, a pivoted roller arranged to press upon said roller IOO IIO

ll, a pin 223 and a seinicircular hiking-pad upon said base beneath said dies, substanf tially as described.

i). The co1nbiuation,in a device of the class described, of a base, provided with a vertical opening in its top, a rod 3 to sli de in said opening and carrying a disk Ll, dies upon said disk provided with characters formed by serrated outlines, the scrrations thereof correspondin to and coinciding with indentations provided in an adjustable plate upon said base, a bar '18 having one end pivotally secured to said base and the other upwardly turned, a screw 20 engaging said rod and supporting said bar, a shaft l0, a ratchet upon said shaft, hav ing a flange engaged by the tu rned-up end oi GAYLORD \V. HEERE.

In presence o'- C. G. lLuvLEY, F. LYON. 

